Western Engineering News | April 5, 2012
By Heather Travis
Breaking into the music industry with no experience as a band manager isn’t easy; but a chance encounter with a fellow engineer gave Amie Therrien, BESc’03 (Civil Engineering), her big break.
A confident Therrien quickly found common ground with the drummer of “Graydon James & the Young Novelists” during an off-stage conversation after a concert – the pair were both engineers moonlighting in the music industry.
“It turned out we had both worked for the same company and were both engineers by day with a passion for music that we indulged in at night,” she said.
The meeting was serendipitous, as Therrien was an artist manager without a band.
“We found we were both at the same point. The band was looking to get some help with things on the business side and I was looking for a band that would take a chance with me as a new manager breaking into the industry,” she said.
She had enrolled in weekend courses about the music industry and artist management at Toronto's Harris Institute for the Arts, but didn't have any practical experience. Already a fan of the band, Therrien was a natural fit for the role of band manager.
Her day job is working as a water resources engineer with Sernas Associates, a member of The Sernas Group Inc. But at night, she is a music maven - negotiating concert deals and going to shows, promoting the band and seeking opportunities to increase the band’s profile. Therrien works under the name Balsam Pier Music, a management company she formed with a friend who also manages a band.
When asked how to describe their sound, Therrien compares it to acts like The Band, Blue Rodeo, and Wilco, noting they fall in the category of roots, folk or folk-rock music.
“They are a group of people who really have a lot of fun together both on and off stage,” she states.
But Therrien is not just fostering young musical talent.
She is dedicated to providing engineers-in-training (EIT) support and mentorship. She is currently the chair of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering's Young Professionals Committee, which offers events and programs for those who fall in the category between student and seasoned professional.
“You are typically classified as an EIT for the first four years out of university, but there is still a lot to learn after that,” she said. “I hope that the (Canadian Society for Civil Engineering) and its activities can help to connect us and provide that vital support network.”
While Therrien may be new to the music scene as a manager, she is no stranger to the craft of making music.
She learned to play the flute and the trombone in Grades 7-8 and performed in her high school band and ensembles. She also played alto saxophone with the Western Mustang Band throughout her undergraduate degree. She later became involved with the Clarington Concert Band in Bowmanville, Ont.
“I always attend a lot of concerts, even as a kid, and that, combined with my organizational and management skills honed through engineering, led me to want to get involved in the music industry as a manager.
“I have always been interested in both the arts and the sciences. There's a lot of science and mathematics in music and there's a lot of creativity involved with engineering design. I think the two areas complement each other quite well,” she noted.
As a Western Engineering student, Therrien was a member of the winning fourth-year design project team in the City of London Design Competition for the London Industrial Subdivision on Veteran’s Memorial Parkway.
“This was a great project which gave us an opportunity to work with a local engineer and apply the knowledge we gained in our courses to a real world project. It was very challenging and really did help to prepare me for my future.”
This project helped land her first job. This was one of many experiences at Western Engineering that has helped shape who Therrien is today.
“The courses gave me the technical base I needed, and my classmates and professors provided a supportive environment that allowed me to grow both intellectually and personally,” she said.
“Participation in extracurricular activities like the Western Mustang Band, Canadian Society for Civil Engineering student chapter executive and intramural basketball and ultimate Frisbee … allowed me to develop skills, such as teamwork, management, and communication, I use in everyday in my engineering career.”
Rather than feeling pulled in different directions, Therrien is quick to mention her two passions have some overlap.
“The dedication and hard work practicing as a musician has given me skills that carry over into my work as an engineer. The organizational, logic and management skills that I've picked up in my engineering work have certainly been an asset as a band manager.”
So what keeps this engineering artist inspired and driven to succeed in all areas of her life? Just take a look at Therrien’s CD shelves.
“I have a lot of respect for the many talented independent musicians in this country who are working hard to get their music out there,” she said. “Canada has a lot of great talent out there right now.”
Also from this web page:p>
Contact
.: Allison Stevenson
Spencer Engineering Building, Room 2074
T: .519.850.2917
F: 519.661.3808
contactwe@eng.uwo.ca
